English-speaking interior designer in Zurich
Deirdre von Gruben is an English-speaking interior designer working across the city of Zurich, both the Gold and Silver coasts of Lake Zurich and further afield across the entire Canton. We design traditional English country house interiors for villas, Altbau apartments and lake homes, and manage every stage in English, from the first measurements to the day you settle in.
Who we work with in Zurich
Most of our Zurich clients are internationals and expats: families who have relocated for work, clients buying their first Swiss home, and owners of historic houses who want the rooms to feel both elegant and lived in. What clients share is our love of pattern, colour, antiques and traditional forms, as well as very little spare time. Our process is built around that acknowledgement: you give your full attention to the project only twice, at one design presentation and during one month of revisions, and we handle the rest.
The homes we design
Altbau apartments. High ceilings, parquet floors and original mouldings suit traditional and English country house interiors well. The work is usually about furniture layout, storage (older buildings rarely have built-in wardrobes), lighting, window treatments, and colour and wallpaper chosen for rooms where an addition of character and charm is desired.
Lake villas. On the Gold Coast and the Silver Coast of Lake Zurich, from Küsnacht, Zollikon and Erlenbach to Kilchberg and Rüschlikon, the question is usually how to make large rooms feel practical for everyday use and how to incorporate the beautiful lake view into the overall design of the space.
Historic houses in the canton. Older villas and farmhouses often require a new layout to work for modern family life while being extremely conscious to keep the immense beauty and character a historic or listed home has which is what makes them so special.
New builds and full renovations. We work alongside your architect and builder, supplying elevations and cabinetry drawings so the joinery and finishes are built exactly as intended.
Historic homes and the Denkmalpflege
Many older buildings in Canton Zurich are listed, and changes to them need approval from the heritage preservation office (Denkmalpflege). We prepare the documentation and coordinate those conversations as part of the project, and plan the design around what can and can't change from the outset. Deirdre has been through this process in her own home, an 1875 villa in the canton.
English country house style in a Swiss home
Achieving the English country house style accurately depends on a few essential elements: layered pattern, antiques mixed with quality upholstery, a multitude of lamps rather than bright overhead light, and colour used with confidence. In Swiss homes we adapt this for the architecture and the light: lighter walls where rooms face north, heavier fabrics for homes occupied primarily in winter, and storage planned in from the start.
With much of the design style in Switzerland characterised by modernism, Scandinavian design and minimalism, much of the furnishing and decor which are sourced for our projects comes from abroad. Almost every full service design project includes a sourcing day in London or Paris, and we are conscious of the intricacies of Swiss customs and import, wherever possible consolidating orders from the UK, France and Italy into planned shipments to optimise Swiss customs, the 8.1% import VAT and courier clearance fees.
How a Zurich project works
Establishment. One meeting in your home to take measurements and understand how you live, followed by a mood board and a furniture layout for your approval.
Design. Every room is built in a 3D modelling software to its exact dimensions, so you can walk through it before anything is ordered. Your home is presented to you whole, with a complete specification and budget, and refined over one focused month.
Procurement. A dedicated member of our team orders every item, tracks it, and handles any returns or damage. Everything is received and inspected at a warehouse until the site is ready.
Installation. We install everything, remove the packaging and style each room, and finish with a professional photograph and film of the house.
Being based in Switzerland means site visits are straightforward and allows for your budget to be allocated more towards the furnishings and decor and less towards designer travel costs. More about our services.
Recent work in Canton Zurich
The Dove. An English country house bedroom in an 1875 villa, built around Lewis & Wood's Doves fabric, with antiques sourced in London and across Europe. See the project
What it costs
To get an idea of what an interior design project costs in Zurich, do visit our complete article on “How much does an interior designer cost in Switzerland?” which includes details on how every interior design project phase is typically priced and which includes a sample living room budget to provide a practical estimation.
Questions
Do you work entirely in English? Yes. We work in English throughout and coordinate local tradespeople on your behalf.
Which parts of Zurich do you cover? The whole city and Canton Zurich, including the Gold Coast and the Silver Coast of Lake Zurich. We also work in Zug, Lucerne and on ski chalets throughout the Swiss Alps.
Can we start before we've moved or completed the purchase? Yes, and it often helps. Measurements and layouts can begin as soon as we can access the property, so furniture is ordered in time for the move.
How far ahead should we get in touch? It depends on the rooms. A room that needs paint, wallpaper and furniture usually takes at least four months from our first meeting to completion; whereas kitchens and bathrooms, which involve trades and longer lead times on tiles and flooring, often six months or more; and a whole home can take a year or longer.
Tell us about your home
Visit our full service design page for more details and to enquire.